Multiple stapler



Jan. 16, 1962 J. J. oussANl MULTIPLE STAPLER Filed sept. 16, 1960 f5F/G. 4

IN VEN TOR. Jil/755 .7. OUJSCIN/ 4/ ,ad Arm/@Amy United States PatentOffice 3,0%,53 Patented dan.. 7.6, i962 3,016,538 JULTIPLE STAPLER.lames J. (lussani, 777 th Ave., Brooklyn 32, Nfl. Filed Sept. 16, 1960,Ser. N0. 56,391 7 Claims. (Cl. 1 3) This invention relates to apowerized stapling device7 and more particularly to a multiple staplingdevice for driving a plurality of staples in a single operating cycle.

Still more particularly this invention relates to an irnproved powerizeddevice wherein a plurality of stapling units in side by side relationare operated from a single impeller member, said stapler units beingadjustably positioned with respect to each other.

It is known to me to provide a multiple stapler device having two ormore staple driving units operated by a singie source of motive power.Such devices usually take the form of a housing having individualstapling units secured to the base thereof, and having a ixed impellerincluding a fixed cross bar disposed in spaced relation to and in aplane vertically above the units. When the impeller of such known unitsis activated, as by closing a switch, the cross bar descends, strikingthe driver arms of the stapler units and forcing the latter through astaple clinching cycle.

Such multiple staple driving units are faulty in one or more aspects,which faults are remedied in the improved device herein described andclaimed. A problem often encountered in known multiple fastening unitsis a very high noise level occasioned by the fixed cross bar slammingagainst the plural stapler units. A further problem encountered in theuse of such known devices is that the individual stapler units mayoperate effectively when spaced apart in one manner, yet may beineffective and furnish inequality of clinching of staples whendifferently positioned.

For example, a known device employing three stapling units may operatesatisfactorily where the three units are equally spaced from each other,but unsatisfactorily where two units are arranged close together and thethird unit spaced apart from the other two.

Further problems in known devices relate to the relative difficulty ofadjusting the spacing of the individual units.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a multiplestapler device having a reduced noise level as compared with powerizedmultiple stapling units heretofore known.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide an improvedmultiple stapler having novel adjustment mechanism whereby the point ofapplication of the effective force of the impeller may, in a measure, bevaried so as to provide efficient uniform driving force for eachstapling unit, not withstanding uneven or unbalanced orientation of theunits with respect to each other, and assuring an equalized clinching ofthe work at spaced points to which multiple staples are simultaneouslyapplied.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a multiplestapler unit having the aforesaid advantages and which, in addition,permits facile adjustment of the spacing of the staple driving unitswith respect to each other.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein orbe hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a multiple stapling device inaccordance with the invention, with parts of the housing broken away toshow detail;

FIGURE 2 is a magnified section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a magniiied vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of FIGUREl;

FIGURE 4 is a further magnified fragmentary section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FGURE 5 is a reduced plan View of the stapler device.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a housing Iiiincluding a base Il, side walls 12, 13 and top wall I4. The base il isprovided with a laterally directed slot l5, substantially parallel withthe front edge I6 of the base Il. rIhe top wall i4 is similarly formedwith a lateral slot 17 (see FIGURE 5) paralleling the edge 16.

A solenoid 2.@ carried by U-shaped bracket 21 is adjustably secured tothe housing lil through the medium of depending bracket 22. Brackets 22and 2i are secured together by bolts 23, 24, the upper end of bracket 22being formed into a flange 25 which is slidably clamped against the topwall 14 by bolts 26, 26 which pass through washers 27, 27 and slot t7and are then threaded into complementally formed apertures 28 in iiange2S of bracket 22.

Solenoid 2t) carries an armature or plunger Sil which extends throughthe core of the solenoid and is slidably journalled in legs 21a, 2lb ofbracket 2.1. A cap member 3l is secured to the Lipper end 32 of plunger3d, as by bolt 33, and expansion coil spring 34 is biased between saidcap and upper leg 21a of the bracket 21, thereby serving to maintainplunger Sil normally in the elevated position in FIGURES l and 3. Thelower end of plunger 30 is apertured at 3S and a rounded cross bar oryoke 36 is slidably and rotatably fitted in said aperture.

A plurality of stapler units 4d, ila, which may basically comprisestandard manual Staplers, are secured to the base il in a manner toprovide widthwise relative adjustment. For this purpose, bolts di aresleeved through washers 42, passed upwardly through slot i5 and securedin apertures 43 provided in the base 44 of stapler dan. End stapler 4dis similarly mounted with bolts d5 and washers 46 threaded into acooperative aperture 47 in the anvil carrying base, except that saidbolts pass through separate spaced apertures i8 formed in base il tosecure end stapler dit non-slidably to the base.

It will be understood, however, that slot i5 may be extended and bolts45 pass therethrough, if adjustahility of the end stapler it) isdesired.

The driver arms 5G, 50a of Staplers 4t-tl, 40a are optionally butpreferably provided with operating pads 5l, Sia. rIhe pads 5I, 51a arerecessed to form longitudinal troughs 52, 52a, preferably havingvertical side walls 53, 54; 53a, 54a, respectively. Rollers 55, 55a areslidably and rotatably carried on cross bar 36 and are seated in thetroughs S2, 52a, respectively. The rollers 55, 55a are removablyretained in the troughs 52 and 52a by U- shaped wire springs 56, 56a,secured at the center branch by bolts 57, 57a to the driver arms Se, Sa,respectively.

The end branches S8, 59, 58a, 59a of springs 56, 56a, respectively, arepassed over cross bar 36 in straddling relation to rollers 55, 55a,respectively, and serve to bias the rollers tightly into troughs 52,52a, and to provide a block against the rollers becoming unseated fromsaid troughs.

Where adjustment of the stapler di) is desired, the bar 36 may be formedwith spaced annular grooves et?, 5I (see FIGURE 1) within which endbranches 5S, 5E of spring 56 may be seated.

The solenoid inipeller Ztl is actuated by temporarily connecting leadsA, B thereof to a suitable source of current, to effect stapling. Any ofa variety of switching devices may be employed for this purpose, theoperation of such devices being well known to those skilled in the art.The solenoid in the instant device employs a switching mechanism SW,which is closed by the insertion of articles to be stapled and which maybe adjusted forwardly or rearwardly with respect to the front edge lr6of the Staplers, by manipulation of knob K, so as to permit the staplesto be driven selectively at various distances from the edge of the work.

While the device has been described in connection with two Staplers 4),40a, it will be recognized that three (as shown in phantom, FIGURE l) ormore units may be employed, depending only upon the space within thehousing and the size of the solenoid utilized.

When a voltage is applied across leads A, B, plunger 3i) carrying crossbar 36 is thrust downwardly. Unlike multiple Staplers heretofore known,the cross bar 36, being linked directly to the driver arms 5d, Sila ofthe staplers, provides quiet operation by eliminating any impact of 'theparts which is encountered in known units having a cross spaced from thedriver arms.

The noise level of the device may optionally but preferably be furtherreduced by interposing thin pads or cushions 7d, 'lla in the base oftroughs 52, 52a, respectively.

Notwithstanding the intimate association of driver arm Sila with crossbar 36, stapler 40a may be easily laterally adjusted with respect tostationary unit 40. This adjustment is accomplished by loosening bolts4l, 4l, sliding stapler alla to the desired position, and againtightening the bolts. In the course of such movement, rollers 55a andspring lingers or branches 53a, 59a slide freely along bar 36. Theconstant biasing inuence of the said lingers maintains driver arm Silbiased upwardly toward bar 36 and assures that roller 55a will remaincaptive within the trough 52a. v

In a device employing plural stapler units, I have found thatnotwithstanding the positive connection of the cross bar with theindividual units, it is desirable to vary the point of application ofimpelling torce of the plunger 30 to the cross bar 36 to assure uniformstaple clinching by all units and to minimize wear. Such adjustment isprovided in the illustrated embodiment by bolts 26, slot 17 and theslidable connection of plunger 3) to cross bar 36.

Thus, as seen in FlGURE l, the solenoid and plunger assembly may beadjusted from the unbalanced location (solid lines) to the balanced orcentered location by merely loosening bolts 26, shifting the solenoidunit in slot 17 to the desired centered position, and subsequentlyretighterling the bolts. lt an unbalanced location of staples isdesired, as for example if two stapler units are 'to be located near oneend of bar 36 and one unit near Ythe other end, the plunger 30 should beadjusted so as to be nearer the two units, preferably at a position onthe bar where the sum of the movements of upward force o the two unitsis exactly counterbalanced by the upward movement of the single unit, sothat there is no substantial tendency for cross bar 36 to tilt withrespect to plunger Sil in the course of a driving stroke.

The above described multiple stapler unit will be found to operate at anoise level far below multiple units heretoore known, due primarily tothe novel connection between the cross bar and the individual units.Moreover, the noise reduction ellected by such connection isaccomplished without any loss in adjustability of the stapler units toeach other, to provide a variety of spacings of staples driven by theunit.

By providing an impeller assembly which is adjustable with respect tothe cross bar, each stapler unit is permitted to operate at maximumefliciency and with a minimum of wear, notwithstanding unequal spacingor unbalanced .orientation of the stapler units.

Having thus described the invention and illustrated its use, what lclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable powerized multiple stapler device comprising a housinghaving a base portion, a plurality of stapler members mounted side byside to said base to be laterally adjustable relative to each other,each said stapler including a driver arm, an electrical impeller securedto said housing having a depending, vertically shiftable plunger, meansfor activating and deactivating said impeller, a cross bar carried bysaid plunger horizontally disposed above said driver arms, and springretainer lingers carried by said driver arms including portionsextending over and slidably engaging said cross bar, said lingersbiasing said driver arms against said crossbar.

2. An adjustable powerized multiple stapler device comprising a housinghaving a base portion, a plurality of stapler members mounted side byside to said base to be laterally adjustable relative to each other,each said stapler including a driver arm, an electrical impeller securedto said housing having a depending, vertically shiftable plunger, meansfor activating and deactivating said impeller, a cross bar carried bysaid plunger horizontally disposed above said driver arms, roller meansslidably and rotatably carried by said cross bar, and retainer meansincluding spring lingers carried by said arms and biased against saidcross bar whereby said driver arms are biased against said roller means.

3. An adjustable powerized multiple stapler device comprising a housinghaving a base portion, a rst stapler member secured to said base portionadjacent a side of said housing, at least one other stapler memberpositioned in side by side relation t0 said first stapler and adjustablymounted to said base to be movable laterally toward and away from saidlirst stapler, driver arms on said staplers, an electrical impellermember laterally adjustably secured to a top Wall portion of saidhousing, a plunger carried by said impeller and vertically shiftablethereby, means carried by said housing for activating and deactivatingsaid impeller, a cross bar slidably coupled to said plunger, said crossbar being horizontally disposed above said driver arms, spring lingerscoupling said driver arms of said Staplers and said cross bar extendingover and slidably coupling said cross bar and said driver arms.

4. An adjustable powerized multiple stapler device comprising a housinghaving a base portion, a plurality of stapler members secured to saidbase in side to side relation, said stapler members and base includingcooperative fastener means permitting relative sidewise ad- ,iustment ofsaid Staplers, driverarms on said staplers7 an impeller member securedto said housing to be laterally adjustable thereon, means carried bysaid housing for actuating said impeller through a stapling cycle, aplunger carried by said impeller and vertically shiftable thereby, across bar laterally slidably connected to said plunger and disposedhorizontally above said driver arms of said stapler members, andcoupling means slidably joining said cross bar and driver arms forrelative Alateral sliding movement.

5. A device in accordance with claim 4 wherein said coupling meanscomprise Aspring lingers secured to said arms and said cross bar issandwiched between said arms and said lingers.

6. An adjustable powerized multiple stapler device comprising a housinghaving a base portion, a plurality or stapler members mounted to saidbase to be laterally adjustable relative to each other, each saidstapler including a driver arm having a recessed seat thereon, anelectrical impeller member secured to said housing, a plunger carried bysaid impelle-r and vertically shiftable thereby, means for energizingand deenergizing said impeller responsive to the insertion of articlesto be stapled, a cross bar carried by said plunger and horizontallydisposed above said recessed seats of said driver arms, a plurality ofroller members slidably and rotatably carried by said cross bar, eachsaid roller member being disposed within one of said seats, and retainermeans carried by said driver arms, said last named means includingpaired linger portions extending over and biased against said cross barin spanning relation of said roller members 6 whereby said rollermembers are maintained between may be centered to a positionsubstantially intermediate said iingers and pressed within said seats.Sad driver armS- 7. A device in accordance with claim 6 wherein saidimpeller member is laterally shiftably secured to the top ReferencesCited m the fue of this patent portion of seid housing and said plungeris laterally slid- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS ably connected to said crossbar, whereby said impeller 2,947,002 Moore Aug. 2, 1960

